Panel construction



9 39% R. s. cum-z PANEL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 7, 1964 [N VENTUR.

ROBERT 5. CLl/VE mwma 9 W66 R. s. cum:

PANEL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May '7, 1964 aka/L11 1 United States Patent Office 3,289,375 PANEL CONSTRUCTION Robert Sherrill Cline, Bradenton, Fla., assignor to Cline Aluminum Products, Inc., Bradenton, Fla., a corporation of Florida Filed May 7, 1964, Ser. No. 365,753 14 Claims. (Cl. 52593) This invention relates to panel construction for buildings and, more particularly, to a metallic panel construction capable of being quickly and easily assembled.

Building panels for walls, doors, and partitions are well known in the art. These known structures, however, exhibit numerous disadvantages. For example, they require nails or other fasteners to secure the panels together and generally employ intermediate studs sandwiched between the panels to provide additional structural support. Further, these structures require skilled labor to assemble, are relatively complex and expensive.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved panel construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a panel member which can be quickly and easily assembled.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an economical panel construction having a minimum of parts and which can be quickly and easily assembled.

A further object of this invention is to provide a panel construction in which a plurality of identical panel members can be quickly and easily assembled.

Another object of this invention is to provide an insulating panel construction which is quickly and easily assembled.

Briefly, in accordance with aspects of this invention, a panel may be quickly and easily assembled without the use of special tools from a plurality of substantially identical elongated panel members and the panel may terminate at each end in a corner member, all the members being preferably formed of metallic material. These members may be moulded but preferably they are extruded from a suitable die. Each of these plurality of panel members includes a substantially flat flange of elongated material and an elongated, substantially flat web extending perpendicularly from the flange to define a structure having a T-shaped cross-section, the opposite edges of the flange terminating in a pair of opposed portions which are L-shaped in cross-section, the edge of the web remote from the flange terminating inan elongated channel defining portion which is U-shaped in crosssection with the forks of the U terminating in in-turned elongated edges directed toward each other.

In accordance with other aspects of this invention, a panel member is formed with a substantially T-shaped cross-section in which the crossbar of the T, or flange, terminates in a pair of edges L-shaped in cross-section in which the bases of the Us oppose each other and in which the cross-section includes a web, or stem, which is substantially Y-shaped with the forks of the Y extending outwardly from the flange, or crossbar. This panel is particularly adaptable to a snap-lock assembly in which the edges of the contacting flanges of two panel members may be snapped into the channel, track, or recess defined between the forks of the Y-shaped stem, or web, of an opposed panel member. Advantageously, this panel construction may be provided with intermediate insulating strips linking the opposed panel member and the space between opposed panel members may be filled with a suitable insulating material to thus provide a panel construction having insulating properties. In each of these embodiments, the panel may be terminated at its lateral edges with a right angle member having a pair of hookshaped edges which engage the hook-shaped portions of the web and flange of the terminal T-shaped panel member.

3,289,375 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 In accordance with still another illustrative embodi ment of this invention, the panel members are provided with elongated edges on the flange which edge-s include the previously described L-shaped portions and portions which project a substantial distance within the forks of the Y- shaped web, or stem, of the opposed panel member. Suitable fasteners may be passed through the forks of the Y-shaped member and through the projecting portions of the flange edges to provide a panel with increased rigidity on a longitudinal axis and therefore decrease the deflection of the panel under load.

These and various other objects and features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a reading of the detailed description of the invention in. conjunction with the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a panel member according to a preferred embodiment of this in vention;

FIGURE 2 is a detail of the portion of the panel of FIGURE 1 inclosed in the circle 2;

FIGURE 3 is a detail of the portion of the panel member of FIGURE 1 in the circle designated 3;

FIGURE 4 is a view, in elevation, of a panel which, in this particular instance, is a sliding door panel including a plurality of the panel members shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view, in section, of the door panel of FIGURE 4 taken along the line 5-5 thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a view, in section, of the door panel of FIGURE 4 taken along the line 66 thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view, in section, corresponding to the view of FIGURE 5 and showing an alternative type of panel member; and

FIGURE 8 is a view in cross-section of an insulating panel formed of panel members of the type shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is depicted a view in perspective of one illustrative embodiment of panel member 10 according to this invention. Preferably the panel member is formed of metallic material such as aluminum which may be quickly and inexpensively extruded in any particular form or it may be moulded. The panel member 10 may also be formed of plastic material provided it is given sufficient thickness to have the necessary resilience to define a snap-lock type interengagement which will be subsequently described. As shown in FIGURE 1, the panel member 10 is substantially T-shaped in cross-section and includes a flange 11, or crossbar of the T, and an integrally formed, substantially perpendicular stem portion, or web member 12 which Web member has a cross-section resembling a Y including a pair of forks 13 which defines the ends of the web 12 remote from the flange 11. The forks 13 of the web 12 terminate in a pair of inwardly projecting hook portions 14 which have beveled opposing edges 15. The details of the forks of the web member 12, or stem of the Y, are best seen in FIGURE 2 which is an enlarged sectional view taken of the circle 2 of FIGURE 1. These beveled edges 15 facilitate the snap-locking engagement with one or more corresponding panels 10 in a manner which will be subsequently described. The details of the edges of the flange 11 are shown in FIGURE 3 which is a view, to an enlarged scale, of the portion inclosed in the circle 3 of FIGURE 1. As therein depicted, the flange 11, or crossbar of the T, terminates in a pair of edges 16 substantially L-shaped in cross-section with the bases of the Us 17 directed toward each other and each having a beveled edge 18 to facilitate the snap-locking engagement. The flange 11, or crossbar of the T, is provided with a V-shaped longitudinal groove 20 which is aligned with the web 12. The groove 20, however, is merely a form of ornamentation and is not essential to the structural features of this novel panel construction.

It is, of course, understood that the panel 10 may be provided with suitable ornamentation to break the flat appearance of the panel member 10.

FIGURE 4 is a view in elevation, to a reduced scale, of a sliding door 22 which includes a plurality of panel members 10 connected together in edge-to-edge relationship in a manner which will be subsequently described. The edge of the door is inclosed in a suitable reinforcing member 24 which will be subsequently described in detail.

FIGURE 5 is a view in section, to an enlarged scale, taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 4, and includes a portion of a doorway, not shown in FIGURE 4. FIG- -URE 5 shows portions of three panel members 10, designated a, 10b and 10c, which are snap-locked together in a panel defining combination. The edge of the door panel is defined by a member 26 which has a substantially right angle cross-section, which member 26 is snaplocked to the member 10a. Preferably, the member 26 has an edge 27 which is substantially L-shaped in crosssection with the base of the L directed toward the apex of the right angle defined by the member 26 and eng a ges one edge 14 of the web 12. The opposite edge of-the member 26 is designated 28 and also has a substantially hook-shaped projection 29 for engaging the base 17a of the L-shaped edge 16a of the panel member 10a. The abutting L-shaped edges 16a, 16b are locked in the chan nel defined by the forks 130 by the hook-shaped projections 14c. The edge 160 of the member 10c is conguous the L-shaped edge 27 of the member 26 and these edges are held in engagement by the hoolcshaped, inwardly projecting portions 14a. An angular projection 28 of the member 26 may be fitted into the notch defined in-part by L-shaped edge 16a and secured thereto by means of welding as indicated at 30. In FIGURE 5, the edge 24 of the door 22 is shown as having a substantially U-shaped cross-section with an L-shaped member 32 welded or otherwise secured to the outer edge, which member 32 slidably engages a similar L-shaped member 33 secured to the door jam'b 34 by suitable means, such as by bolts of screws, not shown. The U-shaped member 24 is secured to the panel member 10a and to the corner member 26 by suitable means such as bolts or by welding, not shown.

FIGURE 6 is a view in section, taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4, and shows in section a portion of the opposite edge of the door 22 from the edge shown in FIGURE 5. In FIGURE 6, a panel member 1011 is in snap-locking engagement with a panel member 10i, only a portion of which is shown, and an abutting panel member 10k. The edge of the door panel is defined by a corner member 26 identical to the panel corner member 26 previously described. The member 26 includes an angularly projecting portion 28 which engages the L-shaped edge 16k and the member 26 is welded to the member 10k as indicated at 35. The abutting edges 16k and 27 are held in contacting engagement by the channel defining members 13k and are prevented from leaving the channel defining members 13k by means of the inwardly projecting hook portions 14k. The member 24 is secured to the corner member 26 and panel member 10k by any suitable means such as by welding, not shown. A door slide member 37 is secured to the edge member 24 and slidably engages a similar L-shaped member 38 mounted on a door facing 40.

When the door 22 is to be assembled, two panel members are placed with their flanges 11 in edge 16-to-edge 16 contact and with the beveled edges or surfaces 18 each engaging an edge 15 of the web 12 of an opposing panel member and a force is applied to these edges 16 perpendicular to the lateral and longitudinal dimensions of the flanges such that the edges 16 are forced inwardly between the projections 14 of the channel defining portions 13 of the opposite panel member. For example, in FIGURE 6, the beveled edges 18i, 18k were placed contiguous the beveled edges 15h of the panel memher 10h and a force was applied to these edges in the direction indicated by the arrow 42. The beveled edges 18:, 18k forced the beveled edges 15h and the integral channel defining members 1311 away from each other and the L-shaped edges 16i, 16k passed beyond the opposed projecting edges 14h and the resilience of the forks 1311 caused the forks to return to their unstressed position to thus define a snap-locking engagement. A similar snaplocking engagement secures the panel member 26 to the member 10k and was obtained by placing the edge 27 contiguous the edge 16/2 and applying a force to these edges in the direction indicated by the arrow 43 to force the bases of these L-shaped edges beyond the projections 14k defining the ends of the fork members 13k. Subsequently, the edge 28 of the corner member 26 was forced beyond the edge 16k and the edge 28 was permitted to engage the inner surface of edge 16k and the weld 35 was made to secure the corner member 26 in engagement with the L-shaped edge 16k. Advantageously, this operation of connecting a plurality of panel members 10 together and of connecting the corner members 26 to the terminal panel members 10 may be performed without tools if the resilience of the web 12 is sufliciently low to permit. It i possible, however, that with thicker mate rial, a rubber hammer or similar tool may be employed to apply the forces indicated by arrows 42, 43.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 5 showing a portion of a door employing an alternative type of panel member 50 which may be employed to form more rigid building panels capable of withstanding greater transverse loads. Panel member 50 includes a flange portion or crossbar of the T-shaped cross-section 52 and a web 54, which portions are similar to the portions 11, 12 of the panel member 10. In this embodiment, a pair of edges 55, L-shaped in cross-section, correspond to the previously described edges 16, which edges 55 are provided with the hook-shaped portions 56. Edges 55 are also each provided with an extending substantially flat edge 57 which extends parallel to the web 54. The panel includes three panel members 50a, 50b, 50c and an angle defining edge member 26. The panel member 50a has its edge flange 57a contiguous the edge 57b of the adjacent panel member 50b and a rivet or other suitable fastener 58 extends through suitable apertures in the channel defining members 590 and through suitable apertures in the edges 57a, 57b, none of these apertures being shown. This arrangement of fasteners increases the rigidity along the longitudinal axis of the panel and results in a decreased deflection of the panel under transverse loads. In this embodiment, the members 50 are provided with suitable apertures 60a, 60b through the webs 54a, 54b, respectively, such that the required tools may be inserted through these apertures to insert and secure the fasteners 58.

FIGURE 8 is a view in section of an insulating panel 70 according to this invention. The insulating panel 70 includes the panel members 10 and the corner members 26, both of which have been described in detail. In this view, panels 10m, 10m, 10p and corner member 26 are secured together. Advantageously, the couplings between the opposed baffle members such as 10m and 10n are defined by one of a group of rigid insulator strips 72. The strip 72 is formed of suitable insulating material, such as vinyl, and is preferably extruded in an elongated strip and is cut to approximately the same length as the panel members 10 which it is to connect. Each of the vinyl strips 72 is identical and only the strip 72a will be described in detail. The strip 72a includes a snap-lock portion, or flange, 74a which extends at right angles from a web portion 75a and is sufiiciently rigid to force apart the opposed projection 14. A spacer bar 72a also extends perpendicularly from the web portion 75a and parallel to the snap-lock portion or flange 74a for engaging the terminal edges of the projection 14m. On the opposite end of the web portion 75a from the flange 74a is a channel defining portion 77a. As,

shown in FIGURE 8, the inwardly projecting hook portions 14m of the panel m engage the snap-lock portion or flange 74a, which engagement is obtained by forcing the flange inwardly between the forks 13m until the projecting portions 14m are forced between the spacer bar 76a and flange 74a. The channel defining portion 77a receives the adjacent edges 16n, 292 of the panel 1011 and the corner member 26e, respectively, in snap-locking engagement. These L-shaped edges 16n, 29e of the flanges of the panel and angle members, respectively, are received in snap-locking engagement in the same manner as the snap-locking engagement of the projections 14 and contiguous edges 16 previously described. With this particular form of panel construction, the hollow or core portion of the panel between opposing panel members and between the angle members and the adjacent panel member is preferably filled with suitable insulating material, such as polyurethane foam, as indicated at 80.

While only three illustrative embodiments have been described and shown, it is understood that the concepts thereof may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, other forms of materials may be used for the panel members 10 and it is not essential that these materials be extruded. They may be moulded or otherwise formed of other material such as plastic. Similarly, the insulating strips 72 may be of any convenient form of insulating material which will provide suflicient rigidity to define a connecting link between the panel members 10. Further, the particular insulating material chosen to fill the hollow core portions of the panel may be of any convenient form which provides the necessary K, or conductivity, factor. For example, polyurethane foam has a K factor of the order of 0.119 B.t.u./hr./sq. ft. Also, while the panel construction has been described in connection with doors, this form of panel construction may be employed for the siding of buildings, for partitions, or for any other form of building construction.

What is claimed is:

1. A panel member comprising:

an elongated, substantially flat flange having a pair of parallel edges;

an elongated, substantially flat web extending perpendicularly from said flange to define a structure having a substantially T-shaped cross-section, the edges of said flange terminating in a pair of opposed portions which are L-shaped in cross-section with the bases of the Us directed toward each other, the edge of the web remote from said flange terminating in an elongated portion which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section with each of the forks of the U terminating in an angularly projecting edge. A panel construction comprising: a plurality of elongated panel members each including a substantially flat flange having a pair of inwardly directed edges; and an integral web extending perpendicularly from said flange, said web defining a portion Y-shaped in cross-sectio-n, the forks of the Y being terminated in inwardly directed edges having surfaces substantially parallel with the surfaces of said flange; and said panel members being connected together by engaging the inwardly directed edge of the flange of one member with the inwardly directed edge of the Y-shaped portion of another member.

3. The panel construction according to claim 2 further comprising at least one corner member having a substantially right angle cross-section, the edges of said corner member terminating in a pair of flanges, at least one of which is hook-shaped in cross-section with the hook directed toward the apex of the right angle.

4. The panel construction according to claim 3 wherein 6 the other edge of said corner member projects angularly from said corner member.

5. A panel construction comprising: a plurality of elongated panel members, each including a substantially fiat flange having a pair of longitudinal, inwardly directed edges, and a web extending perpendicularly from said flange, said web defining a portion which is Y shaped in cross-section, the forks of the Y being terminated in opposed edges having surfaces substantially parallel with the surfaces of said flange; and said panel members being connected together by engaging the inwardly directed edges of said forks with a pair of inwardly directed edges of a pair of continguous flanges.

6. A panel construction comprising:

a plurality of elongated panel members, each including a flat flange having a pair of elongated, in-

wardly directed, substantially parallel edges, and

an integral web extending from said flange, said web defining a portion Y shaped in cross-section, the forks of the Y being terminated in opposed edges having surfaces substantially parallel with the surfaces of said flange; and

a plurality of strips coupling contiguous edges of said flanges and coupling said contiguous edges to one of said webs.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein each of said strips includes a flange portion, a web portion extending perpendicularly from said flange portion, and a channel defining portion on the opposite end of said web portion from said flange portion.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein each of said strips further includes a spacer bar extending perpendicularly from said web portion intermediate said flange and said channel defining portion.

9. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said strip is formed of insulating material and wherein the portion of said panel inclosed by the flanges is filled with insulating material.

10. An insulated panel construction comprising:

a plurality of elongated, metallic panel members, each including a substantially flat flange having a pair of inwardly directed edges which are L-sllaped in crosssection, and

an integral web extending from said flange, said Web defining a portion Y shaped in crosssection, the forks of the Y being terminated in opposed edges having surfaces substantially parallel with the surfaces of said flange;

a plurality of connector strips connecting said panel members together; and

at least one corner member coupled to one of said connector strips and coupled to one of said elongated panel members.

11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein each of said connector strips includes a flange portion, a web portion extending substantially perpendicularly from said flange portion, and a channel defining portion coupled to said web portion on the opposite end thereof from said flange portion.

12. The combination according to claim 10 wherein each of said connector strips includes a spacer bar extending substantially perpendicularly from said web portion intermediate said flange portion and said channel defining portion.

13. The combination according to claim 10 wherein said connector strip is formed of rigid vinyl material.

14. The combination according to claim 10 wherein said panel contains insulating material.

(References on following page) References Citefi by the Examiner UNITED FOREIGN PATENTS STATES PATENTS 655,325 1/1963 Canada. Buchanan 52-579 X Cook 52-630 X Gresham et a1 I M 5263() X 5 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Przmary Exammer. De Ridder 52570 P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PANEL MEMBER COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED, SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT FLANGE HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL EDGES; AN ELONGATED, SUBSTANTIALLLY FLAT WEB EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY FROM SAID FLANGE TO DEFINE A STRUCTURE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY T-SHAPED CROSS-SECTION, THE EDGES OF SAID FLANGE TERMINATING IN A PAIR OF OPPOSED PORTIONS WHICH ARE L-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION WITH THE BASES OF THE L''S DIRECTED TOWARD EACH OTHER, THE EDGE OF THE WEB REMOTE FROM SAID FLANGE TERMINATING IN AN ELONGATED PORTION WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION WITH EACH OF THE FORKS OF THE U TERMINATING IN AN ANGULARLY PROJECTING EDGE. 